Good evening,interested in moving to a DAC

if you go transport/dac route AND buy used, I would recommend finding a transport that uses a very robust transport such as Phillips CDMPro-2 or similar. these things last "forever" and are still available should you need to replace

Audio Note,, Bel Canto, North Star, etc use the transport I mentioned and there are surely others!

Another good transport design is the VRDS made by TEAC. Parts for a lot of them -- laser assemblies -- are still available.

Skip the transport and convert your CD's to computer files. Then you can spend all $3k on the DAC like Almarg suggested, although you don't have to. It takes a few minutes to burn a new CD before listening, but your library will become so much more user friendly you won't care.

If you MUST be at or under budget......a CD840c will fill the bill. 2 channels of input and balanced out.

DISCLAIMER. I'll be selling mine soon for reasons that have nothing to do with the player or quality of playback.

Computer files and an external DAC also make compelling sense.

To add to Al's list....both Rega and Naim make integrated players in this category.

how does a tube output stage effect the equation?was looking at a sony 9100eswith mods by modwright,i believe they call them platinum signature truthmod,thanks to all who have answered my thread,thanks again robin a little more money,4300.00,would this be money well spent?